Helen Kang, director of the environmental law and justice clinic at GGU has informed us about a temporary staff attorney position. See the details below, and act quickly if you're interested. The application period closes July 12, 2013; with tentative start date of August 15, 2013

BASIC FUNCTION AND
SCOPE OF JOB:

The Environmental Law and Justice Clinic at Golden Gate
University School of Law in San Francisco is seeking a staff attorney with
significant litigation experience to serve full-time, from August 15, 2013 to
December 31, 2013; and from January 1, 2014 to April 30, 2014, to job share
with another staff attorney. This is a
temporary position and will not be extended.

ABOUT THE CLINIC:

Established in 1994, the Clinic is part of the law school
and is staffed by students, two graduate fellows, and two full-time professors.
The Clinic trains students to become effective, ethical lawyers, while
providing excellent service to low-income communities and communities of color
bearing disproportionate environmental burdens. The Clinic has successfully
reduced pollution from refineries, power and manufacturing plants, and military
facilities. Its work has also contributed to landmark decisions ensuring that
California relies on renewable energy, conservation, and efficiency to fight
climate change. See http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/eljc/18/.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The attorney will have primary responsibility in fast-paced
California Public Utilities Commission proceedings and in cases against
pollution sources and government agencies, co-teach the Environmental Law &
Justice Clinic seminar, and closely supervise law students in all aspects of
case work.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Member of the California State Bar in good standing

Extensive litigation experience, with aptitude and ability
to take primary responsibility in Clinic cases, including those involving
trials

As mentioned in my previous post, I have already done a lot of traveling this summer. Like most nerds people, I always keep my eye out for interesting land use patterns whereever I go. When I travel to Norway, I eschew the typical tourist locales and staying with my friends and family from when I was a high school exchange student there over 20 years ago. This puts me in the county of Ostfold and usually in the town of Rygge. Norway's mainland is made up of 19 counties, and Ostfold is one of the smaller counties (ranked 17... about the size of Rhode Island) and one of the densest (ranked 4 ... roughly as dense as Minnesota). I think of Ostfold as an area of rolling hills and small farms. Norwegians see that but also characterize it as an area of dense population with big towns (big in Norwegian terms is over 20,000 people). I love the look of the place and enjoy the result of rules protecting both agriculture and environmental amenities (doesn't hurt that the state has a lot of money and has kept out of the EU).

As with much of the developed world, there has been a push in Norway to buy local goods -- especially food products. Some of the food companies have therefore started advertising campaigns highlighting the use of local products and even using images of local farms and farmers on the packaging. (I am particularly fond of the norwgian-style sauerkraut that bears the image of my host brother.) I was looking at a similar style advertizement on the back of the milk carton one morning and the difference in land use and agricultural practices hit home. Tine, the cooperative that produces most of the milk in the country, was boasting that the milk I was drinking came from cows right there in Ostfold (and profiled one of the farms). What was notable about the statement is that it said there were over 2,400 dairy farms in Ostfold. That's right, 2,400 dairy farms in one of the most densely populated smallest counties where dairy farms are not even a dominant land use. Having grown up in Wisconsin and lived in California (USA's top producing dairy states), this shocked me. I am used to dairy farms averaging 135 cows (with this number steadily growing as farms consolidate) and hundreds of acres. While I couldn't find any data on Norwegian dairy farms, my family there was unsurprised by the statistic explaining that dairy farms only have 5 or 6 cows. Admittedly, I know nothing about dairy farming or agriculture economics but from a land use stand point, it makes a landscape that is fun to look at.

Dear Readers -- I was shocked to look at the blog and realize that I had not posted in well over a month. I guess that's what four weeks of traveling can do to a blogger. I spent a lovely two weeks in Europe (visiting family and friends in Norway and Germany), which I will have more to talk about. I also had an amazing time attending the Natural Resources Law Teachers Institute in Arizona where I got to hike my first slot canyon. Finally, I just returned from Wisconsin where I was attending my 20-year high school reunion. May and June have been momentus months and somehow in the blink of an eye my summer is half over! I have also been reading some fun stuff and writing some less fun stuff and have a lot to share with you all.